Closed Gym
by Mitch
Summary: Lita and Ann are trapped in the school gym.


  
Closed Gym  
by Mitch  
wells17@gte.net  
  
It had been a long day. I had two tough tests and barly passed   
another. That's why I was so anxious for gym class. I wanted to vent   
some frustration into vollyball practice. I felt better after that.  
I wasn't really mad, just annoyed. Well, at least people aren't as   
scared of me as they used to be. When I first transferred to   
Crossroads, I was avoided. I guess I only had myself to blame, with  
the violent rep that got me kicked out of my old school. At least   
when I started hanging with Serena and her friends, people generally  
accepted me. I admit I loosened up considerably and that's helped.  
I'm Lita Kino. I'm also Sailor Jupiter.  
  
Right now, I'm changing out of my gym outfit and back into my  
school uniform. I'm the last one here, due to my musing. I   
shrug. I've been a loner for a while, but after learning I was a   
Sailor Scout, I've learned to become lonely. Well, I've been lonely   
before, but I guess there's a different lonliness that comes -after-  
one has friends. Anyway, I have a surprisingly light homework night.  
I guess I can just relax for a change when I get home. Maybe I'll  
call Ken, we haven't had a real talk in a while.  
  
"Back in your mismatched uniform, huh?"  
  
I turn around and see Ann Granger. She's a transfer student   
from France (even though I've never heard her speak French). She's  
been on my case ever since I had lunch with her brother.   
  
"Look," I explain, "they didn't have any uniforms my size.   
Besides, I like the color scheme."  
  
"Yeah," she says, "nice and bland. It suits you."  
  
I scowl, but I don't want to argue with her.   
  
"Why are you here?" I ask. "You're in Serena's class and your  
gym period is much earlier than mine."  
  
"I was looking for my brother, Alan," she explains, "He has a   
gym class around the same time as yours. School's out right now, so  
I came to check on him. I missed him, but I'm sure he's heading home   
right now."  
  
"What if he's looking for you?"  
  
"Believe me," says Ann, "I know where he is."  
  
Strange, I think, but I never had a brother, so how would   
I know how strange they were? Then again, Ken's always been like a  
brother to me. However, it still isn't like we always know where we  
are. Just then, the ground bgain to shake.  
  
"What's going on?!" shouts Ann.  
  
"It's an earthquake!" I explain. "You get used to them after  
fifteen years!"  
  
The earthquake is a bad one. It causes the supports in front of   
the locker room door to collapse and block the exit. Some of the   
celling comes down also.  
  
"Oh man! We're trapped!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"We're stuck!" I exclaim. "There's no one to call for help  
even if we could."  
  
"We're trapped? We can't be trapped! I have things to do   
tonight...!"  
  
"Ann! Calm down! Look, we can still get out of this. I don't   
like it either, but we've got to stay calm!"  
  
"'Stay calm'? How can we?!"  
  
"Just work on it," I say. Admittitly, I'm not the calmest   
person on Earth, but my own confidence has helped keep my head cool  
sometimes. Ann, on the other hand, makes even Raye look calm. It's  
going to be tougher for her.  
  
"Whatever you do," I whisper, "don't talk unless you have to.  
We need to conserve air."   
  
I head toward the rubble and begin clearing it. I motion to Ann   
for her to help me. She mumbles but proceeds to help. Ann never seems  
to help others unless there's something in it for her. Well, I'd say  
her life would be something of worth to her! As I see her help me   
clear the rubble, I notice a bit of saddness around her. I always saw  
Ann as a bitter person, but I've also thought of her as a victim of   
something, as if she had left her entire world behind her when she   
left France, which, come to think of it, is understandable. I felt  
I was leaving something behind when I moved to the 10th section,   
myself, but that's not the same as leaving an entire country! Still,  
I think it's more than even that. She only seems to have her brother  
for company. I know the feeling. I only had Ken before learning that  
I was a Sailor Scout. I guess I was rather nasty back then, but I   
always thought I had a reason to be tough. Still, I'm glad I found a  
good outlet for my anger. I really owe my friends for giving me a   
chance to do something positive with my pent-up energy. Ann, on the   
other hand, gets mad for almost no reason at all. Sometimes, I look   
at her and see a twisted reflection of me, what I would have become if  
things were different. If I had not met Serena, would I have let my   
lonliness and anger make me into a bitter person. I hope not. Still,  
the thought tempers my own anger toward Ann and almost lets me pity   
her.  
  
The rubble is cleared, but the beams are still blocking the   
entrence. On closer inspection, the doors, although still unable  
to be opened, are cracked open just a little.   
  
"Well," I say, "I guess we do have some air."  
  
"Good," said Ann, "Now I can say how lousy you are with   
deduction."  
  
This put-down reminds me of my earlier thought of how it doesn't   
take much for Ann to be critical about. Raye's more critical than me,  
but Ann seems to find fault in the whole human race.   
  
"Look," I say, "either help me move these beams or complain."  
  
"Hmmm. I think I'll take 'b'."  
  
I sigh and begin to move the beams. I suppose I shouldn't blame  
her for not helping since she's not as athletic as I am. Still, she   
could do something! People always say how strong I am, but these beams  
are seriously heavy. If I was alone, I could just transform into   
Sailor Jupiter and destroy them with a Jupiter Thunder Crash...but  
then Ann would see me. Do I really want to do that? Neither of us   
want to be trapped in here, but I don't want to give away my secret.  
Also, I wouldn't be giving just myself away, but also my friends.  
Maybe i can do this and convence her that the other girls aren't the   
other Scouts. I could tell her that it would be too obvious if the   
other girls I was with were the other Scouts. On the other hand,  
giving away just myself may ruin my chance of being Sailor Jupiter  
ever again. I don't know how the others would take it, but I would  
turn in my Scout pen for my sctions. I'd hate giving in more than   
anything, but I would to protect the others. At least it would have   
been a great ride. Still, I don't want this situation to come to that.  
  
In the corner of my eye, I notice Ann looking troubled. It's   
almost as if she's planning something similiar. She grins a little.  
Same said grin looks rather nasty. If I didn't know better, I'd say  
she was thinking doing something unpleasent to me. I guess if our   
positions were reversed and she was the one with a powerful secret   
identity, she'd kill me to keep me from talking. I shake my head.  
That thought was just paranoia. Besides, is Ann really that nasty?  
I look at Ann again. This time she notices me and turns her head, as  
if she's nervious.  
  
I find some leverage and move most of the beams. Now, I need some   
help getting the door open.   
  
"Hey, Ann!" I call, "I need your help."  
  
"Like that's an understatement," she grumbles. "Okay, what is  
it?"  
  
"I need you to help push this door open. I can do what I can but   
I'll need some extra muscle."  
  
"Gee, why can't you do it yourself?"  
  
"Because I'm not that strong. Look, just put the attitude away   
for one minute and help push."  
  
Ann sighs, shrugs her shoulders, and proceeds to push with me.  
  
"Y'know, Kino," she grunts, "you're not that easy going yourself."  
  
"Maybe," I reply, "but at least I try to channel my anger into  
things that matter, like this, rather than look for everyone's faults."  
  
"'Things that matter'?"  
  
"Neither of us want to stay trapped here. Getting out of here is  
more important than anything we dislike in each other."  
  
"Lita," she asks, "about earlier, when you thought we had little   
air, why did warn me about it?"  
  
What sort of question is that? "Because I didn't want you to   
suffocate, that's why." I answer.  
  
"But...don't we hate each other?"  
  
"I don't -hate- you, Ann. I just think you should work on your   
negative attitude. I admit, I've had some bad dealings happen to me,  
but I did find friends. Life can be tough, believe me, but there  
are ways to deal with it. Sometimes, it's best just to let it go."  
  
"Your friends," asks Ann, "why do you hang with Serena and those  
chumps?"  
  
"First, I'll forget you called them that. Second, they accept me  
for what I am and I love them for that. Look, Serena is just...Serena.  
She has faults, but so do I and everyone else. People can only help  
themeselves with their life choices, but everyone's really okay being  
themselves."  
  
Ann looks at me, as if she's heard something enlightening.  
  
"Um," I point out, "the door..."  
  
Ann turns her attention to the door again and we finally make it  
through. We're both panting and dirty. Fortunatly, it's nothing we  
can't wash off of our uniforms.  
  
I turn to Ann and smile. "Thanks."  
  
Ann looks surprised. "Your...welcome. Uh, thanks to you too."  
  
The aftermath of our little adventure involved the gym being   
closed for repairs for awhile, Ann and I seen as heroes in the   
gossop mill for less than a week, Alan spending more time with Ann for  
a while, and my friends questioning me about that night.  
  
"Trapped with Ann? Ouch! Glad it wasn't me."  
  
"It wasn't that bad, Serena," I explain, "Just a little scary.  
Ann -wasn't- the worst part. In fact, we needed each other in the   
end."  
  
"I'm just glad you two got out," says Amy, "it would be awful  
if something happened to either of you."  
  
"I bet she wasn't so thankful afterwards," states Raye, "Ann  
doesn't strike me as being gracious."  
  
"Yeah," said Mina, "she's not into humility."  
  
"Actually," I correct, "she -did- thanks me."  
  
Everyone is in silence.  
  
"Uh, what?" asks Serena.  
  
"She thanked me. She's bitter, but she's not without feelings."  
  
Just then, Ann arrives. "Hey, Kino, telling your friends about   
our little escapade last week?"  
  
"You could say that. Why?"  
  
"Look," she whispers, "I appriciate you helping me and everything,  
but don't spread what happened around. I've got a rep for not being   
thankful."  
  
I'm slightly surprised, but I guess I shouldn't be. "Okay."  
  
She leaves with a triumpfant look on her face. I look at my   
friends and see that they're a little surprised.  
  
"Gee, sorry Lita."  
  
"Ah, that's okay. At least -I- know she thanked me. That's  
enough. I didn't want to embarass her anyway." I think for a second.  
"Say Serena," I ask, "how -is- Ann in gym class?"  
  
Serena snickers. "She's not bad, but, well, she always seems new  
to our games. I have a few stories..."  
  
END 


End file.
